The Definition of Family
by Kira8428
Summary: [Sequel to Raising the Future] Every day Dan sees Danny smile, he wonders why. Even after so long, he doesn't really know if he's the father the boy deserves and honestly doubts the boy wants to stick around as much as he says. But he got his answers the day they decided to take a walk through that portal...
1. Prologue

It was a quiet, windy day today. The breeze was shaking stray wires and blowing papers along the streets-while dust was kicked up and carried away on the wisps. The only thing that had yet to move was the building a young boy found himself hiding in, unable to stay silent as his shoulders shook and his eyes darted back and forwards. He could feel a heavy pounding in his chest as he thought he head footsteps-only for them to disappear entirely within a couple of seconds. But he knew better, staying hidden until a shiver passed through his system and he felt a hand on the back of his shirt.

Finally, the boy couldn't take anymore and burst into a fit of giggles-jumping away from the hand before a glowing ring surrounded him in mid-air. It washed over him, making his body colder while turning his long black hair white, and his blue eyes red. His white shirt and grey shorts also gave way to the black and white hazmat suit he'd come to adore-while an otherworldly aura clung to his body.

The boy then stilled himself in the air-blasting at the man who'd tried to grab him-only for the beam to be deflected right back. He jumped out of the way, just to feel that same man grab him from behind. He struggled, before giving up with a laugh and turning to face the man who'd captured him.

This man had white hair, much like the boy did, only it waved like a roaring fire. His eyes were a piercing red that seemed eerily jovial, while a fanged smile appeared on his blue face. That same aura also clung to his skin and suit-of which greatly resembled the young boy's, only with more white and a cape that was flapping in the breeze pouring in from a shattered window.

The man ruffled the boy's already messy locks, before setting him down. "You do realize that you have to be quiet while you're hiding, right Danny?"

The young boy-Danny-just stuck his tongue out in reply before he gained a blue hue. His body then fell through the solid floor, leaving the man to sigh and chase after him. That child had way more energy than he should, inhuman or otherwise. In fact, the man thought as he flew through wall after wall to catch him, he wouldn't be surprised if Danny could power a city with his joyful fire alone.

The man eventually discovered the boy standing in the middle of a vacant parking lot-grin bright as the sun beaming down on them. Danny then spoke, floating in the air with a green glow surrounding both of his palms. "Now I get to try!"

With a smug smile, the man watched Danny send a volley of blasts at him and dodged every one. He could hardly believe how strong the boy had become over the years, but he supposed it was bound to happen. Not only had he had these powers his entire life, he had someone more than willing to train him. And that person was his father-Dan. A man who just barely missed getting hit in the stomach by a stray beam of energy.

Jumping into the air, Danny finally stopped his barrage of attacks and grinned at his sparring partner. Dan grinned in reply as well, before he spoke up with a suggestion that brought stars to Danny's eyes. "Hey Danny, why don't you try your hand at what I taught you again. When we're done, we can do something else."

Grin turning devious, Danny nodded and sucked in a breath. Then-in a horrifying shriek that would rattle the bones of men miles away-energy burst forwards and barreled towards Dan. The other ghost then found a smirk forming as he launched the same attack, the two blasts meeting in the middle and causing everything in the immediate area to tremble.

Both mighty roars pushed against one another, but Dan's was quite clearly winning. Still, Danny was trying incredibly hard. His fists were clenched tightly as he focused-but his energy was quickly starting to run thin. But Dan figured he could afford to give the boy an inch this one time, and he stopped his assault.

And as soon as his flow of energy stopped, Danny's burst forwards and smacked Dan right into the ground. It left a sizeable indentation in the cement and gave him a killer back ache, but it was worth it to see Danny stare in absolute surprise. He then raced up to Dan with barely contained excitement, arms in the air as he shouted in glee. "I did it! Did you see, dad? I did it!"

Dan chuckled, sitting up with a grunt. "I didn't really see it as much as I felt it… You're getting stronger everyday, aren't you?"

The young boy beamed with pride, plopping onto the man's stomach and knocking some of the wind out of him. "So what're we going to do next?" Danny asked with a tilt of his head.

Dan grunted, sitting up and moving Danny to his lap. "I don't know. What do you want to do next?"

Danny looked up at the sky, taking the question into serious consideration before he nodded to himself. He then looked at Dan, placing his hands on his stomach. "I want something to eat. And you need to eat too."

Dan frowned at that. He never needed to eat-but Danny had always insisted. He supposed it was a side-effect of constantly telling the boy that he had to eat in order to survive, but at least it kept the boy from throwing his food out of the window in rebellion. And so he conceded with a sigh. "Alright… Let's go hunting."

Danny beamed, jumping into the air in an instant while waiting for his father to get to his feet. The two then started flying in the direction of a forest-if you could call it a forest anymore.

Most of the trees were dead or dying, but grass had tried to grow back over the past couple of years. Dan found he didn't mind though, as the lifeless forest often thrived with the ghosts of animals. And most of them, being ectoplasmic life forms, made the perfect meal for a full-ghost such as himself while also providing much needed nutrients to both of Danny's halves.

"Hey dad," Danny's voice made the older phantom look behind him-seeing his son had stopped and was staring at something. "what's that?"

Moving to the halfa's side, Dan followed Danny's gaze and found what appeared to be a natural portal. And while Dan was about to dismiss it, he noticed the way the portal spiraled and glowed. It seemed odd, and Dan couldn't place it until he realized that the portal was clearly not green-rather it was a brilliant sky blue. It also wasn't fading.

"Dad?" Dan looked at Danny, who looked increasingly curious.

"Its a natural portal, but-"

"Can we go in? Please? I promise to behave!" Danny begged, his big red eyes shinning with hope as he clasped his hands together.

Dan opened his mouth to speak, but that did nothing but make the boy's eyes bigger and cause him to pout. That look had broke the man's will several times, and part of him would always hate that, but another part knew that he could do nothing about it. So, with a heavy sigh Dan gestured for the boy to follow-unable to help a smile at the celebratory cheer he received.

They approached the portal, Danny climbing onto Dan's back and staring into it with wonder, while the older ghost walked towards it. He could only hope that what he was doing wouldn't bring Danny any serious harm, as they stepped through the portal and it popped out of existence.

 **A/N: Guys, did you know I loved you? Seriously, the amount if joy I got reading your reviews on Raising the Future was amazing! I'm so glad more than 2 of you like it, and I decided to give you guys what a lot of you _seemed_ to want. A sequel! And I've had this idea for awhile now, but really wanted to get most of it planned properly before doing anything so... Yeah!**

 **Also, since communication is important in a relationship, if you guys have any questions you can leave it in your review and I will try to answer it. And if you decide to make something for this-...I guess this counts as an AU...-you can either PM me a link or send a note to my Deviantart: 8Kiki8**

 **I hope you guys enjoy this thing I've made, and thanks again for the support.**


	2. Nostalgia

The bright light that had encompassed Dan and Danny faded away and revealed the lush forest surrounding them. Sunlight poured through the leaves, while small critters scurried along the dirt and into some bushes. And while all of these factors hinted at this not being his original timeline, it was the loud car honk that sealed the deal. Said honk also alerted a nearby deer, making it look around with its big brown eyes.

"Woah…" Danny looked at the creature with fascination-having never seen an animal that wasn't green and glowing with ghostly energy before. "Where are we? What's that?"

"That's a deer, Danny." Dan said, looking up at the sky to see a plane rush by. "And it looks like we're not in our dimension anymore… Turn into your human form."

Danny pouted, but did as he was told and jumped off of Dan's back. White rings transformed him back to his human self and caused the boy to shiver. The air felt so different now that he was breathing again. There were so many smells of different people and places, and it was all both very intriguing and very gross to the halfa. But his mind deviated from that path quickly when he watched white rings encompass his father.

He saw the suit the man had always worn turn into a black shirt and jeans-while his hair turned black and partially hung in his face. Those piercing red eyes also turned into a dark blue, while his skin paled and lost its blue color. Those pointed ears left in favor of very human ones that looked so alien on the man. Everything just looked so different on him now and, had Danny not see him transform, he probably wouldn't have recognized him.

"Dad...?" Danny asked, staring up at the man with vague doubt. The man also looked a bit shorter with his hair down. "You can turn human?"

Dan cracked his neck, rolling his shoulder as he answered. "No, this is a disguise. Think of it like pretend. We're going to pretend to be regular people and look around a bit, okay?"

"Okay!" And with that Danny leapt onto the man's back, setting his head in his father's hair as they made their way in the direction of that mysterious honking noise. And what Danny saw was breath taking.

There were people everywhere. They jogged down the street, sped along in cars, and rode past on bikes-all while buildings stood tall around them without any blast damage to be seen. Even the roads looked fascinating with their lack of massive craters. The entire place made Danny's head spin as he took it all in, while his sensitive ears picked up on the new sounds. He was so distracted, he didn't even question the look of surprise on Dan's face.

'Amity Park…' Dan knew that was where they were. The sights, the sounds-they were all too familiar to be anywhere else. Even the way the air felt reminded him of Amity Park: cool while scented slightly with fast food. It left him feeling particularly wistful. He never let it settle in when he was in Amity Park fighting his past self, either time, but now that there was no danger… He almost wished he hadn't destroyed everyone. Almost.

"Dad, I don't like all of these people." Danny suddenly said, and Dan could almost hear the ghostly echo in his voice.

"Now Danny," Dan started as he plucked the boy off of his back and sat him down on the ground-completely unaware of the people who had saw him and were now staring at his physique. "this could be fun. You could try some of the things that I did when I was young. Wouldn't you like that?"

And as always, Danny eagerly said yes. The boy was always interested in getting a better understanding of Dan-especially when it came to things the man did in his youth. So, not wasting the opportunity, Dan took his son's hand and looked up and down the street. He figured he should start with getting him something to eat as he'd promised before going through the portal, but where could they go?

Picking a direction, Dan realized that Amity Park wasn't all that big on restaurant variety. There was the mall, but it was festering with people all the time. Plus, the full ghost wasn't eager to deal with swarms of teenagers, and strangers trying to get him to buy their phone service. And the only other place he really remembered was the Nasty Burger.

A bitter taste formed in Dan's mouth as he thought about that location. For a long time it wasn't of much importance to him-just the place where his family and friends died right before his eyes. The amount of cold acceptance to that truth he had shook anyone who'd noticed it. But after awhile he found he really just didn't like the place anymore. He could even remember standing by the establishment while waiting for Danny and blasting the broken neon sign into a car.

But they did have food he was sure Danny would enjoy, and he had to admit that their food _was_ pretty good last time he tried it. Granted that was a little over 20 years ago, but considering he hadn't had any human food in years it would probably make it much more enjoyable.

So with destination in mind, Dan made his way to the establishment while Danny looked wildly around. The boy hadn't been this excited in a long time. He was bubbling with energy and gave curious eyes to everything that was different from their home. Dan could only guess as to what the boy thought about it all in detail, especially since he was certain the last memories the boy had of this kind of place was when they went hunting down his past self, and that was years ago.

Though those thoughts did make Dan wonder if yet another version of himself lived here. He supposed it wouldn't be very surprising… That train of thought would have to continue later though, as Danny read the sign on the building they approached. He made a curious humming noise as they entered the building, where people were dining and talking amongst themselves.

Dan opened his mouth to address the boy, but Danny voiced his thoughts first and asked. "What's a burger?"

"You don't know what a burger is!?" Dan's attention was drawn from his son's sudden outburst to the man behind the counter-whom of which Dan almost didn't recognize-but he only knew one person in Amity Park who wore that kind of red hat.

Not wanting to start any meat-based discussion with the apparent Nasty Burger employee, Dan gave him a dismissive answer while looking at the menu. "My son's only 10 years old. We've never gotten the chance to get one until recently."

"Oh then he has to try number 8-he'd love it!" And with that Dan's suspicions were sealed as he stared at the triple-decker bacon disaster that only Tucker would constitute as food. The full ghost could feel his blood clotting just by looking at it, and he didn't even have any blood.

Ignoring Tucker's insightful recommendation, Dan ordered what he'd always gotten at the Nasty Burger: real food, only with a kid's meal for Danny. He then reached into his pocket and used his energy to make a wallet, while an invisible duplicate reached through the cash register for a twenty. The two then grabbed their drinks, with Danny questioning what all of these "sodas" were, and sat down. Not long after their food was ready, and the two soon began opening their lunch.

The entire thing felt odd though. Dan hadn't been within 50 miles of this place for a very long time-he didn't really have any reason for visiting a destroyed fast food place after all-but now he was sitting inside while unwrapping one of his favorite things on the menu. It was quite surreal, and Dan couldn't help but wonder if Danny managed to knock him out with that ghostly wail of his, no matter how unlikely that was.

"This is amazing!" Dan's attention was brought back to his son when he exclaimed in joy. There was a bite taken out of his burger, and his soda was gone-clearly having been enjoyed.

The sight was quite amusing, and Dan found himself subconsciously trying his own. It tasted just like he remembered-but that wasn't all that pleasant seeing as he'd only needed and consumed various forms of ectoplasm. Still he promised Danny and dealt with its blandly familiar taste.

"Hey dad, can we go through random portals more often? This is fun!" Danny asked, watching Dan's expression morph into one of consideration all of a sudden at the reminder of how they got here.

It'd been so long he'd forgotten, but the ghost remembered being told about timeline hopping-and considering the state of this place it had to be a different timeline. But if that were the case, why didn't he see the fabric of reality tearing at the seams? It happened when he went after his past self, so why wasn't it now? What was it about this place that allowed them to be here…? And come to think of it, he wasn't sensing any ghosts at all outside of a vague feeling that some weak ghosts were scurrying around and unable to be seen. Even focusing a bit more, Dan could only sense Danny.

"…Danny, are you sensing any ghosts?" The halfa looked curious at that, but tried to feel for the ghosts like his dad taught him. And though a blue mist rose out of his mouth, it was clear that Danny was just sensing Dan. Danny shook his head.

Curious, Dan stood up from the booth and walked up to the counter while Danny sifted through the box his food came in. He cleared his throat and caught Tucker's attention, lips twitching into small smile when he shoved his PDA into his pocket and tried to look professional. "Tucker, right?"

Tucker looked confused, only to remember that he was wearing a nametag and gave a nervous laugh. "Uh, yeah man? What's up?"

"You've lived here awhile, right?" Tucker nodded. "Have you ever seen anything unusual? Or something… supernatural? Like ghosts."

And for the first time in a long time Dan could see his parent's point of view whenever they asked about ghosts, as Tucker replied. "Uh, ghosts don't exist dude."

"I was asking for Danny." Dan covered, looking behind him when he heard a yell of surprise. A small smile formed on his face when he saw the boy hold up a small ghost plush that came with his kid's meal. "He really likes ghosts. We came to Amity Park and heard there were apparently some haunted locations. He keeps insisting I ask people about it."

Tucker laughed lightly. "Well good luck on your "ghost hunt," dude."

Dan nodded, reproaching his table to find Danny playing with the little light-green plush. In earnest he gave it a week until its head was lobbed off by an ectoplasmic blast to its squishy face. "Come on Danny, lets go home."

Rather than looking disappointed, the halfa looked eager to go home with his new toy. He jumped onto his father's back as they made their way out of the restaurant and into the quieting Amity. Street lights were cutting on as they made their way into an alley and Dan shed his disguise. Danny also transformed with a smile, happy to be in his ghost form once more.

Dan then reached for the time medallion he'd started carrying with them-only to find none. He blinked at the thought of forgetting something like that, before he glanced over his shoulder at the ghost boy on his back. "Danny, do you have your time medallion?"

Danny floated off of Dan's back and looked in the collar of his suit before shaking his head. And it was this simple gesture that made Dan start to feel concerned.

Grabbing the boy by the hand, Dan turned them invisible and flew into the thick trees they'd originally found themselves in. He then sat the boy down and the two returned to visibility while Dan waved his hand and formed a ghost portal-only to grimace. That would only lead to this world's Ghost Zone which meant one thing…

He and Danny were stuck here.


	3. Lost in Time

Danny yawned, stretching his arms as he stared up at the night sky from his place in Dan's arms-red eyes drooping as they flew over the city. The stars were much less clear than they were at home-covered by a haze that dwindled their number while also dimming the moon. Beneath them however were countless street and building lights that seemed to make up for the lack of stars. At least it held Danny's attention while Dan searched for a place to stay the night.

Most of the buildings they passed were either occupied or had windows that made it way too easy to see inside. Well, for Dan's taste anyway. He was already trapped in an unknown timeline, and he didn't need the people finding out that he was a ghost as well. He really wasn't in the mood for playing the great destroyer again right now. Then again Danny would probably jump at the chance, so he supposed the halfa could always do that for him.

Chuckling lightly at the idea, Dan continued to soar through the sky while scanning the city below for any suitable locations. He then spotted a small apartment building that was separated from the main street by a much newer one. A smaller, more unused street cut across it's front and reached a dead-end not much farther away. Said dead-end was cluttered with garbage-and was essentially a larger than normal alleyway.

Undeterred by the less than ideal conditions, Dan floated around the building until he found an unused apartment and regained visibility. There was no furniture to speak of, save for the counter tops and everything nailed down in the bathroom. The entire apartment didn't even have any lights. All that illuminated it was the soft glow of the flame on Dan's head-which really didn't do the bleak walls any favors.

Still, it was a roof over Danny's head and they couldn't afford to be picky. Besides, their home had a giant hole in the ceiling. Technically speaking this was a step-up, and with a chair or a fridge the place probably wouldn't be that bad. He supposed he could bare the mall long enough to get what they needed tomorrow. Until then, it would be best to get Danny to sleep and to think through what they'd be doing about getting home.

"Alright Danny," The halfa yawned in response to his name, as Dan sat on the ground with his back against the wall. "I need you to get some rest."

Danny tried to reply, but all that came out were more tired yawns-and he soon found himself unconscious in his father's arms. His stuffed ghost was clutched tightly to his chest, while the white rings appeared to return him to his human form.

Safe and asleep… Now Dan could afford to just sit and think. He shut his eyes, and tried to figure out their next course of action.

He figured that his first priority was properly securing this place so he and Danny would have somewhere to go whenever they were unable to look for a way back. Without any money, Dan figured he could always overshadow the landlord and get them the place rent free. Robbing the mall blind wouldn't be hard either-if it was anything like the mall he used to go to, then the security would be lacking enough that he and Danny could grab some pretty nice things.

After that, he would need to find someone who could help him get home-few questions asked. And while the fastest choice would have been Clockwork, something told Dan that the time master wouldn't be all that eager to help him. Hell, Dan was pretty sure if he thought about that anymore he would be erased.

No, it would have to be someone else. Someone that Dan could convince to help him without much push… There was Vlad, but no matter the timeline they never got along. He supposed the man was a good second option, but he really didn't want to have to meet him. Besides, the man would probably see through whatever lie the full ghost threw at him-Dan knew he would.

That narrowed it down to someone intelligent enough to help him, but dumb enough not to ask the right questions. And that's when Dan exhaled tiredly. Dim as they could be sometimes, the two people who best fit his requisites were the very people he never wanted to see again-Jack and Maddie Fenton.

Unfortunately they were his best candidates, and he couldn't figure a better option than them. He just had to hope that this timeline didn't do anything to them that would keep his old tricks from working, and started thinking of how he was going to approach them...

* * *

Sunlight blared through a window and shined into Danny's face the next morning. The halfa made a small noise of discomfort, before opening his big blue eyes. They then locked onto the still face of his father-who had the ghost boy in his arms with his own eyes closed and his head leaning up against the wall. The sight was especially interesting, because the man seldom slept.

Giggling lightly, Danny slipped out of Dan's grasp and transformed. The full ghost stirred at this, the red mist of his ghost sense a sign that he was much more alert, but otherwise didn't move. Danny knew he was trying to look as calm as possible, a skill the halfa had yet to get right, but he knew the man's weakness.

Moving quickly, Danny grabbed Dan's ponytail and shouted gleefully. "Wake up!"

The sudden action made Dan launch a blast in its general direction before opening his eyes, only to dully look at the boy floating above him. The halfa wore a giant smile on his face all the while, looking at the man as though he'd done nothing to warrant any trouble. "I'm hungry."

"You almost died." Dan said, standing up and plucking the halfa out of the air. "That's a really dumb way to test your reflexes you know."

Danny continued to smile brightly at the man, drawing a weary sigh from him. It was clear Danny wasn't going to allow any scolding to reach his ears until he'd had a good breakfast. So, setting his son on the floor, Dan allowed his disguise to enclose his body and transform him into your average 20 something. Well, above average given his physique.

The ghost then looked down at the halfa, who's hair was still white and eyes still ruby-red. "You're going to have to be in your human form."

And like that, Danny's body slouched and his lips formed a pout. "But I don't want to transform!"

All it took was a raise of an eyebrow for Danny to sigh and plant his feet on the ground. White rings transformed him into his human self, complete with a blue eyed glare and a strong huff that ruffled the black hair hanging in his face. Dan couldn't help but chuckle as he stepped towards the front door with the ghost-boy in toe, knowing he'd lighten up as soon as he tried some waffles for the first time.

Entering the main hallway, Dan let his son run out and by his side while he formed a blob of ectoplasm in his hands. He then placed it in the keyhole as he closed the door-waiting for it to fill in the appropriate gaps before it solidified and turned into a shining green apartment key. And with a turn, the door was locked and he deemed the place officially theirs.

The full ghost then turned to Danny while pocketing the ectoplasmic object, only for a look of surprise to overtake his expression. A familiar face proceeded to climb up the stairs with a basket overflowing with shirts and jeans. And once more, what gave it away was that hat.

"Tucker?" Dan voiced as the teen looked away from his balancing act to greet his apparent neighbor.

"Oh, hey dude! You were the guy at the Nasty Burger yesterday, right?" Tucker was met with a nod. "I didn't know you lived here-I feel like I would've seen you."

"We just moved in. I didn't think you'd be our neighbor though." Dan commented, feeling as though this might cause some problems. "Small world, hm?"

"Guess so. Me and my parents actually moved in not long ago either since it's so close to Casper High." Tucker noted. Dan assumed he missed it on his fly-by since he'd been so meticulous about the apartment he chose. Either that or he'd successfully repressed the mere concept of the place so much that he forgot what street it was on. Both were suitable explanations.

"Well then I guess we're neighbors now. The names Dan by the way." Came the casual response, as he lifted Danny up and into his arms. "And this is my son, Danny."

The child's eyes turned curious, as he examined the face of the older boy. He scanned him for a moment longer before his blue orbs narrowed sharply, and he said. "You shot my dad."

Tucker stared at the child wide-eyed and confused. Dan gave an awkward laugh in reply. "Well we should get going. We'll see you around. Let's go Danny."

Dan made his way downstairs, holding the boy to his chest as he scolded him. "You shouldn't say things like that, Danny. We don't need these people knowing about that."

The small child merely pouted, glaring at Tucker as they continued down the steps before a wicked smile stretched across his face. The blue of his eyes shined a bit brighter as rays of cold shot out of them and encased Tucker's feet-the only barrier between them and the nigh deadly chill being his sneakers. And while Dan had felt the wisp of power, and should probably scold the boy once more, he couldn't help the light laugh that shook his chest when he heard the teen and his clothes fall to the ground.

Dan then pushed open the doors to the building, still somewhat miffed by the lack of destroyed buildings. Unfortunately however he couldn't spend the next few hours taking everything in. Instead, he proceeded to continue down the road and towards breakfast. And after that he would arrive at the first piece to his and Danny's road home.

Though as he walked silently with his son still in his arms, he found himself hesitating more and more in his steps. His body felt cold, and a sickening feeling crept through his body like blood once did. The feeling was so familiar, and as he thought on the way he found it stemmed from their secondary destination.

He didn't want to go there.

And it wasn't out of fear. His boots weren't shaking with the thought of seeing the hazmat-wearing couple-he doubt they ever would-but the idea of Danny seeing them... It made his guard skyrocket. The thought of what they could do to the boy and of what they could take from him made him cautious and dreadful. And though he kept walking, he knew that Danny was beginning to notice his change in behavior.

"Dad, are you okay?" Came the curious voice that held the question he'd been mulling over.

Dan finally sighed, stopping beneath a shaded store front to hold Danny beneath his arms. "Danny... Will I always be your father?"

The young half ghost found himself blinking in confusion as he tilted his head to the side. "Of course! You're the most amazing person ever, and no one can replace you." And just like that a proud smile shined from Dan's son, swaying the majority of the older ghost's worries.

"Well then... I think we should make a little stop before we go get breakfast." Dan said as he continued down the road-confidence slowly returning to normal when the boy's grip tightened on his shirt and he proceeded to look for their destination.

What they found was jarring.

Standing before them was their home, with the second floor and Ops center perfectly intact-mind a few chips and dust coated upper-floor windows. And though familiar it was to both ghosts, neither could feel a sense of home. The building was alien to them-too unclean, off, and quiet. Dan never remembered a single day of quiet in this building, and Danny had never seen it with a roof.

Dan didn't falter however as he calmly stepped up to the door. He had Danny's words in his head and body in his arms-keeping him calm as he allowed himself to disconnect. He numbly knocked on the door and was met with the familiar sound of shattering glass, as rapid and light footsteps trotted up to the door. Then, with a moment of hesitation, a disheveled and tired looking teen red-head pulled the handle and locked eyes with the man towering over her.

She looked as though she were prepared to feel frightened, but a yawn broke any semblance of rationale as she asked while scratching her head. "Hello? Can I help you?"

"Yes, actually. I'm looking for Jack and Maddie Fenton-me and my son Danny wanted to ask them some questions about ghosts while we're in town." Dan said, while gesturing to the child-that had been staring intently at the girl for a while. His eyes seemed to intensify when her body shivered at the mention of ghosts.

And then they dimmed and shrunk, as two voices sounded from behind the girl. One was boisterous, loud, and a tad bit angry as it ranted about ghosts. The other was tired, much like the girl's, but there was an edge to it that almost made Danny want to run away.

His heart started to ram against his chest when he saw them up close, and he found himself hiding in his father's shoulder as they stepped into the building-a place that was nothing like the place he loved. There were no holes in the ground or ceiling. There were no blood or ectoplasmic spatters . There were no little scavenged collectibles. There were only these people... These people who, for no reason he could fathom, terrified him.

* * *

 **A/N: Hello again! First, I wanted to thank hrisi292 and Acidwing for being the first couple of people to review this story. I would have put this author's note in the last chapter, but for some mysterious reason the reviews wouldn't show up... So here we are now! It means a lot you guys. (And don't worry Acidwing-this is Dan and Danny we're talking about. Murder is inevitable)**

 **Second order of business, for anyone reading this author's note, I currently have a Tumblr that is just sitting there, doing nothing but gathering liked content. And so, I wanted to know if an Ask Blog is something you guys would like after this whole this is over. (Why over? Because editing this thing has been a beast and I don't have time right now) Be sure to let me know so I know if I need to bother to learn how to use tumblr properly.**


	4. Ghosts

Dan sat on a dusty purple couch, holding his concerned child in his arms. The coffee table was littered with take-out containers and machine parts, and any clean space was covered in machine oil or cola stains. Said stains seemed to have been scrubbed furiously, only to be abandoned once hope of seeing the table beneath was lost.

Jack and Maddie were sitting in front of him, while Jazz shuffled in the kitchen, making tea. The entire situation was suffocating and tense, and Dan could tell the two ghost hunters were beginning to get uncomfortable. Part of him wondered when the last time they had visitors had been. Given the state of the living room, it had to have been a very long time...

Maddie finally broke the silence as she cleared her throat, eyes cautiously watching the man in front of her like he was some kind of monster. He could only assume it was mother's intuition. "So... Dan, was it? What do you know about ghosts?"

The way the woman had said "ghosts" was concerning. There wasn't as much curiosity as there was loathing, and that made the beast within want to growl. But instead he shrugged. "Not much. Being more of a ghost chaser than a hunter, I've never gotten close enough to examine one. I've seen them around though... You don't seem very fond of ghosts."

Jack speaks up, with his eyes unnaturally sharp. "Of course not! Ghosts are horrible creatures that don't deserve to exist!"

Danny's whimper went unnoticed by the Fenton's, but Dan found himself holding the boy just a bit closer while trying to control his paternal instincts. "Why do you hate them so much?"

A tired frown etched its way onto Maddie's face, while her husband fell quiet. She placed a hand on his shoulder, but whether it was more for him or her was hard to tell. "Well, you see... 14 years ago, our son Danny went missing without a trace. We could only assume that a ghost had stolen him."

And then the pieces clicked, and Dan found his mouth had managed to go dry after several years. The intense hatred of ghosts, the devotion to their research, Jazz looking worse for wear, and the lack of a Danny Fenton... He was silently thankful when Jazz sat a cup of tea down on one of the cleaner spots on the coffee table. She then, just as silently, returned to the kitchen.

"What about you?" Maddie asks when the full ghost doesn't speak. "Why are you so interested in ghosts?"

Dan took a drink from the tea Jazz had provided so he could think-hardly noticing that it was still too hot for a sane person to drink. He then sets the cup on the table and breathes a heavy sigh. The ghost could only assume that everything prior to when he stole Danny was the same here, meaning that the ghost hunters should believe what he had to say no problem. Besides, this wouldn't be lying so much as stretching the truth. It would be easier to keep straight that way.

"...I suppose I can tell you then." Dan said, placing a hand in Danny's hair. "You see, we're not from this place. Ghosts have always messed with mine and my son's life, and they're the reason that we're here... We come from another timeline, where a ghost resides-said to be the most powerful ghost in existence. He destroyed our world, but the few survivors that remain tried their best to fight back-I being one of them."

"But while we were preparing our latest plan, he struck. He killed many of us, but he'd sent me and my son here, to what I can only assume is the past. We need to get back and soon, but while we were here I figured we could find some information about ghosts that might help us beat him." And as predicted, Jack was eating the story up like fudge while Maddie stared skeptically.

"You came from the future..." She said, mostly to herself. "Can you prove it?"

Dan's eyebrows scrunched together as he thought about what he could possibly do. Using his powers would get him nowhere, and any information he could provide would make the couple question why he knew so much about them. But then he looked down, and the sight of the young halfa in his arms gave him an idea.

"Well... In my timeline, we set up shop in this building, and in the basement was a lab, and a portal." That really got the attention of the family, as even Jazz peaked out from the kitchen when Dan said this.

"Y-yes, that's right." Maddie said, eyes wide as she watched him. "But we could never get it to turn on. Right now it's just a hole in the wall."

Dan slid Danny off of his lap and stood up. "Well, if you don't mind I could take a look at it. I bet I could get it working."

The two ghost hunters looked at each other, before they nodded and started making their way towards the basement. But rather than follow immediately, Dan approached Jazz-who was looking up at him with a worried and yet analytical look to her eye. She was psychoanalyzing him again... She never changed.

"Jazz, right? Could you come downstairs with us and watch Danny for me? I'd leave him with your parents, but they seem..." Dan trailed off, pleased with the look of understanding he was met with, and made his way downstairs. Danny followed behind him, Jazz doing the same, until they reached the bottom of the stairs.

The basement wasn't very different from the one in their timeline, making it a bit less overbearing to Danny. There were more loose cogs and springs scattered about, and unfinished weapons lining the walls, but otherwise it was the same. And after the halfa processed this fact, he found himself being held up to eye-level with Dan.

"Now Danny, I need you to stay with Jazz right now, okay?" Dan spoke lowly, making sure the two hunters couldn't hear him say the boy's name just yet-one problem at a time.

The small child glanced at the redhead, who was offering a friendly smile and a gentle wave. Something about her was comforting, much more so than the hunters, and so Danny nodded. Leaping back to the ground he ran up to Jazz and held up a small hand to shake. The teen laughed lightly and shook it, carrying on a polite conversation as Dan approached the portal.

It was by far more organized than the one he remembered, but given how much more work seemed to have been put into it that made sense. Wires were parallel to one another, and it felt brighter inside. Granted, the brightness could come from the ability to see in the dark, but that was beside the point. The point was that, if given a couple more years, Dan might not have half-died.

Danny's giggle in the background however killed any further dwelling on that thought. If that hadn't happened, he wouldn't have the boy... And besides, he did kill the cause of that in turn, so everything worked out.

Smile now on his face, Dan reached for the extension cables that powered the portal and pried them apart. He then made his way inside, a quick glance around leading him to the "On" button that still lied on the inner walls of the device. Dan's smile faded to a look of exasperation as he pressed it and made his way back out. Even after all these years, he still couldn't wrap his head around how they did that.

As Dan picks up the cords however, he hears the scrape of sneakers on metal and glances up. He then rolled his eyes, handing one of them to Danny while kneeling in front of him. A bright smile forms on the halfa's face at this, and Dan can't help the small smile on his own as he speaks. "On three."

"One... Two... Three!"

The two connect the plugs, and the portal jumps to life. Whirring fans are heard as ectoplasmic energy bathes the room in an eerie green light. Long shadows are cast from the two ghosts before the portal, while shocked faces stared into the unearthly swirls.

"You... You did it." Maddie took a step forwards, unable to believe her eyes as she fell to her knees in amazement. "You really did it..."

"So, will you help us?" Dan asked, and found his lips curling into an almost shady smirk that went unnoticed amongst the silent celebration as they nodded. "Good. Then we'll come back tomorrow to discuss a plan of action. Until then-"

"Wait." Dan glanced at Maddie, his arms frozen in a held out position-to pick up Danny. "What are your names...?

Dan hesitated, seeing that familiar whirring in the woman's eye. It was the kind of whirring that he'd seen many times-one that meant she suspected there was something off about this situation. What that something was? Only the two specters knew-and Dan hoped to keep it that way.

But then again, this was Jack and Maddie they were talking about. "...Dan. Dan Phantom. And this is my son, Danny."

Maddie's purple orbs moved to the small child, who was now clung to the man and staring at her. She stared back a bit longer, only for any hope to dwindle when no sign of recognition appeared on his face. She simply nodded and turned away, missing the small smile Dan wore at her hidden anguish.

"It was nice meeting you." And a moment later, they stood back on the crater-less streets of Amity Park as Jazz shut the door behind them.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Dan looked up at the sky. He figured it was around noon by now, but couldn't carry the thought along as he was brought back to reality by an insistent yank on his ponytail. "Dad, I'm still hungry! Can we have more of those burgers?"

Dan looked down at the boy, who still had his right hand wrapped around the dark hair, with a smile. "Why don't we try something else? We can go to the mall, find some stuff for the house, and then I'll let you try pizza. I loved it when I was younger."

Danny beamed at those last few words and nodded, as Dan took a turn down an alleyway and placed the boy on his feet. He allowed his disguise to peel away as Danny transformed and flew onto his back, hands gripping the cape as Dan turned them invisible. "Then let's get going."

* * *

 **A/N: Do you guys actually like these author's notes? I don't actually know. Thanks for the added reviews though guys, and props to Acidwing for figuring out where this timeline was before Dan. But you can't blame him-things are kinda stressful for him right now. (Don't you just hate it when you go through a ghost portal with your child and end up in the same dimension as the parents you stole him from?)**


	5. It's Almost Home

Dan placed the last of the groceries into their new refrigerator before finally standing up straight. Most of the contents were for Danny, seeing as the full ghost didn't need to eat, but part of him couldn't help but wonder if he still liked any of the things in there. Burgers and pizza certainly weren't very pleasant anymore, but maybe something a bit more bitter would be to his liking.

Turning to Danny, who was in the middle of biting a banana popsicle with his fangs, Dan asked. "Did you like the mall?"

Danny removed the icy treat from his mouth with half of it and the stick missing. He then removed said stick from his mouth before replying. "I liked all of the cool stuff we took, but the people were a little mean. Do we get to kill them later? I haven't gotten to do that since we got here."

"We'll see." Dan said, ruffling the boy's hair just as a knock sounded from the door. "Human form."

Danny groaned, finishing his popsicle before reverting to his human-self. Said human-self now sported a big white and black hoodie his father had gotten him, the sleeves covering his hands and hood pushing his hair into his face. He liked how warm it was, and it made him feel a bit more ghostly while human. He figured that was good, since he'd been using it a lot lately.

Dan finally reached the door after disguising himself, pulling it open to reveal Jazz, Tucker, and Sam. He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at them-particularly Sam since he didn't remember seeing her. But Jazz was definitely a surprise too, seeing as he was pretty sure he never mentioned an address. "What are you doing here? And how did you know where I lived?"

Jazz spoke up, smiling kindly at him. "I'm Tucker's math tutor. I stopped by to help him with some work, and he told me all about his "new neighbor." So I thought we'd drop by and say hello. Oh, and this is Sam. She's one of Tucker's friends."

Dan looked at the goth, who watched him with that suspicious look she'd always had when meeting someone new, before turning and stepping further into the apartment. "Well, come on in then."

The trio stepped inside and looked around-admiring the new furniture. It was all quite dark, with black-out curtains covering the windows and sporadic lamps in the corners. Two doors lied on one wall-with one being open to reveal Danny's room, and another being presumably Dan's. A final door lied on a different wall, being cracked open just enough to reveal that it was a bathroom. There was also a balcony, but a dark screen door kept any substantial light from coming in.

"So, you guys vampires?" Tucker asked as the full ghost shut and locked the front door.

"No, just solitary." Dan said before returning to the kitchen, where Danny stood on the counter and watched their visitors. "Somebody seems grumpy."

Danny pouted, turning to his father with his arms crossed. "Those were the people that hurt you and me. Why are they here? Why aren't we hurting them?"

Dan scanned the halfa's sorrowful face briefly, before he sighed and sat on the counter with the boy. Danny sat beside him, waiting for an explanation with open ears. "I know what they did, but right now we have to be nice to them. They're going to help us get home-to all of your favorite things-but before they can do that they have to trust us. That means playing nice."

Danny looked up at that. "Like with the survivor camps?"

"Exactly." Dan said with a smirk, as the halfa leapt up from the counter with renewed cheer.

He approached the older group, looking up at them with a big smile and a light tone as he addressed Sam. "Hi! I'm Danny! I really like your outfit."

Laughing lightly, Sam bent down to meet the boy's eyes-unable to resist being nice to him. She figured it was because he was young and couldn't hurt a fly, but Dan could tell the boy had been practicing how to subdue his natural ghostly aura. It became clear pretty quickly that Danny made a lot of things at least a little nervous. "I'm Sam. How old are you, Danny?"

The tone Sam used was weird coming from her, as even the halfa felt a little off, but her answered anyway. With a confident smirk he raised up both hands. "I'm 10 years old!"

The ray of charm was broken however, as Tucker shouted from beside a computer desk, a box in his hands. He was staring in shock, as a "No way!" sounded and had everyone staring at him. "You've got a copy of Doomed!?"

A small smile unwillingly formed on Dan's face as he approached Tucker and plucked it from his hands. "Yeah, I saw that in the store today and decided to buy it. I loved this game when I was younger. Haven't played it in a few years..."

"What was your childhood like?" Jazz asked, eyes both calculating and worried when she saw Dan's smile fade.

He found himself telling most of the truth, which he assumed Danny picked up on when he leaned in to listen. "It was what you'd expect, I guess. I grew up with a bratty sister who practically raised me since my parents were never around, but that was a long time ago. They're dead now."

"Aw... I'm sorry man." Dan shrugged at Tucker's condolences and moved to sit on the couch.

"It's nothing. While I had loved my family, they don't mean that much to me anymore. Especially now that I have Danny." The full ghost explained, chuckling when Danny ran up to him and hugged him, taking his place on the dark leather sofa. His eyes then locked onto the television as soon as Dan turned it on.

A silence then attempted loom over them, but Dan broke it while a chorus of laughs rang out from the TV. "Just what do you hope to gain out of this little visit anyway?"

Jazz shared a glance with Sam and Tucker before replying with a sigh. "We were curious about you. It's pretty obvious that there's more to you than you let on."

"There's more to everybody." Dan said with a dismissive wave. False-blue eyes then looked up at a clock hanging on the wall, before the full ghost got to his feet. "It's getting late. You three should head home now."

"But-" Jazz was cut off by the sudden strength that guided her, Sam, and Tucker out of the front door and into the hallway. A click of the lock later, and she found she had more questions than answers. Dan however seemed to think she had plenty of answers, as he turned off the lights and shed his disguise, returning to the couch with Danny. He couldn't help the chuckle that shook his chest as Danny remained enthralled by the screen.

Just like he used to...

Dan really couldn't imagine his life without his ghostly son anymore. A destructive fireball of life, that not only kept up with him in all aspects of combat, but would probably surpass him one day. A sweet lamb that was full of cuddles and joy, sometimes overbearing but never unappreciated. A son that he never wanted to leave him.

The ghost leaned back on the arm of the couch with Danny, who unconsciously shifted with him. Dan wondered if this is what Jack and Maddie had felt like when he was young. Before he was a ghost anyway-the very thing they wanted to rip apart and dissect. He found himself doubting it. They were seldom around, preferring to stay in that lab and tinker with that hole in the wall all day long. He'd never do that to Danny.

The halfa didn't deserve that kind of treatment. He deserved to grow up without fear of any kind of rejection-without anything holding him back. And Dan would make sure he did, even if he picked up some of Dan's bad habits along the way. And speaking of...

Dan gently shook the dozing half ghost's shoulder, red eyes meeting baby-blue's. "Hey Danny, do you want to go ghost hunting?"

And like that, sleep was gone from the boy's eyes. He leapt from Dan's arms and into his ghost form, big grin on his face as he nodded. The action alone was enough to lift Dan's spirits after his mental tangent. And soon enough he found himself tearing a hole into the Ghost Zone, still full of creatures ripe for the picking.

Danny wrapped his arms around Dan's neck, giggling eagerly as they entered the realm. Both felt much more at ease, especially the full ghost as he watched the halfa scan the area. "Did you find one?"

Danny made a humming noise as he searched, before his eyes landed on a shapeless blob in the distance. The corners of his mouth pulled back into a wide grin, as his hands lit up with shining energy. And, with a whisper like ice, Danny said his favorite word.

"Victim..."

* * *

 **A/N: You know, while this certainly isn't my favorite chapter, I really like the thought of Dan and Danny robbing the shopping mall blind before going out for pizza. It's a quality father/son activity, along with enacting the genocide of several ghosts. I also imagine that Danny's "Victim" gets a lot more disturbing as he gets older. In a way it's like what happened with the Box Ghost in Ultimate Enemy, and I find it adorable.**

 **Also, quick apologies for not having this out earlier today. School is kind of a thing that gets in the way of my schedule sometimes. But I'll try to get the next chapter done a bit earlier. Hopefully. (I really can't make any promises.)**


	6. Family

"HA!" Danny shouted as he finally struck down a particularly elusive ghost-it's body burning with the intensity of the blast. He then rocketed off once more, while Dan chased after him with a fond grin on his face.

Both had a fair share of ectoplasm on their suits, but Danny seemed to have the most. He zipped around like lightning and struck down unsuspecting ghost after unsuspecting ghost. The rapid movement only stopped when he found a particularly small and squishy one that was quaking in absolute terror. Danny quickly hugged it to his chest with a manic smile, and as Dan approached he found the little thing was starting to cry a little.

"Can I keep him dad? Can I?" Danny asked, eyes wide and bottom lip out.

Dan hesitated-he hated saying no to Danny, but they really didn't need any ghosts running around their apartment. "No, Danny. What would the humans think if we had a ghost in our house? You can play with him, but we can't bring him home."

Danny looked at the ghost in his arms for a moment, deep consideration on his face, before he smiled again. Taking the creature into his hands, the halfa squeezed his body until it popped and drenched his hands and face. He giggled before an idea struck him, as he flew up to his father.

"Ooh! Can I play with Cujo?" Danny asked, with ectoplasm-covered hands clasped together.

Dan frowned. The full ghost had found Cujo when he was 14, but never really saw him again after half of the globe became a vacant lot. Well, until around the time Danny turned 5. The ghostly mutt loved Danny, even though he was initially a little cautious of him. They'd been friends ever since, and often hunted for victims together. He was a very welcomed companion, and seemed to enjoy running around the ghost zone with the halfa whenever he called.

"I don't know. You can try to call him, but he might not recognize you." Dan tried to explain, only to stare in shock as, a ghostly whistle later, and the giant dog proceeded to bound towards them and tackle Danny. His tongue lolled out of his mouth, and coated Danny's face in slobber. The boy was in a fit of giggles, while Dan was left to wrap his head around all of this. Then again, they never did train Cujo to recognize the whistle so it was possible he already knew it from somewhere... Dan suddenly went on alert, glancing around.

Out of the corner of his eye, Dan noticed that the whistle also caught someone else's attention. Flying towards them, with green flames of hair and a predatory look to his eye, was Skulker. And for once the sight of him made Dan smile.

"Danny, Cujo's chew toy is here." Dan said, making Danny leap up with a grin.

The halfa pointed at Skulker, while the mutt wagged his tail. "Kill!"

The dog understood immediately, and rushed Skulker with an eager halfa behind him. The two tore into the mechanical bot before he even realized what was happening, while Dan watched from the sidelines. Danny really was impressive, especially in an environment like this where targets lurked around every corner.

And that thought made Dan pause. This really way a good environment for Danny-at least compared to their home. He had plenty to do, plenty to try, and plenty to enjoy. He seemed so happy here, and the full ghost wondered if they should stay _._ Dan could only imagine how bored Danny would be once they went home. There would be nowhere near as many ghosts, and there would be none of the food he loved. They wouldn't have TV, video games, or even proper beds.

Everything here was already situated anyway. And if they really had to go back, Jack and Maddie would probably have something ready for them. But then rose a substantial problem-the Fenton family.

Living in the same city as the parents of the child he stole was bad enough, but to think that one day Danny could find out? It made the ghost's flaming core feel cold. He didn't even realize it, but his body was twitching faintly as his mind whirred. It took him a moment to realize he was afraid.

And that realization made Dan stare down at his hands. He hadn't felt like this in years, since the first time Danny was injured. And before that? The day his loved-ones died. But those moments he could deny and explain away. His human half was still a part of him when everyone died all those years ago, and it had to have been solely instinct to feel fear for Danny's life. This though...? He couldn't just explain this.

This wasn't instinct, nor a biproduct of humanity. This was genuine concern for another person's well-being, and happiness. More than that however, it was a fear of losing the only person he knew cared about him-no matter what he did. No matter how much of a monster he was... Danny loved him.

"Dad, look!" A cheerful voice yanked Dan back into reality, and the full ghost gave a somber smile.

The halfa was holding up a suit-less Skulker, who was fighting fiercely to get away. Cujo's tail was wagging as well, as he held the armor in his maw. Both looked quite proud of their achievement, but Danny's mood dimmed a bit when his father approaches him and gives him a look. "Danny, can I talk to you alone?"

Concerned, Danny holds Skulker out to Cujo and watches as the dog shrinks down and dashes away with the screaming blob in his mouth. And once they were gone, Dan crossed his legs and motioned for Danny to sit down. The halfa does so, worry present in his ruby-red eyes as he waits for the man to speak.

Dan takes a breath, before he asks him. "Danny... Do you really want to stay with me? No matter what?"

Danny crossed his arms and raises an eyebrow. "Why're you asking the same questions and being sad?"

"Well..." Dan hesitates again, wishing this mysterious sense of dread would just go away. "It's because I haven't told you something. Something very important."

"What is it?" The boy asked as he shifted a little.

"I... I'm not you're real dad, Danny. When you were about 2 months old, you belonged to Jack and Maddie Fenton-the people we met yesterday. Before I found you, I was... Captured, by my past self and given to Clockwork." Danny frowned at that name. He never liked the time ghost. "Eventually however I broke free, and I found you. I then stole you so I could get back at my past self, the one who looked like you..."

At the end of the story, Dan noticed the odd look his son was giving him. "Dad, you're being silly. You're the only dad I've ever known, and that means you're my dad. If those weird science people didn't recognize me then they aren't my parents. Plus, I don't like them."

Dan could only stare at the boy, before a smile formed on his face. "When did you grow up so much?"

The ghost child just smiled, before a yawn pried his mouth open. "Can we go home now? I'm tired..."

"One more thing." Dan said, standing while holding the boy under his arms. "Do you want to stay in this timeline?"

Danny's face scrunched up as he thought about it for a long time. He then shook his head. "I like it here, but it doesn't feel like home does. Oh, but I want to come back sometimes and eat more pizza!"

A deep laugh sounds from the full ghost, making Danny smile. He then shifts his son to one arm, and tears a portal open into their living room. And once inside Dan proceeded to carry the boy into his room, where a space-themed bedroom waits to carry him into dream land.

But as Danny transformed into his less-messy human form and is placed under the covers, he tugs on his father's cape and asks. "Can you tell me a story?"

Dan blinked, before a smile formed on his face. He phased the ectoplasm off, left to be cleaned later, and sits on the bed with the child. He then begins to tell his story, and he finds that this is the first time he's ever truly and undoubtedly felt like the ghost boy's father.

* * *

 **A/N: You know, I just find it great that the majority of this scene was done with Dan and Danny covered in what is basically blood. I really think it hits home the fact that, no matter how sweet they are, the two are incredibly sadistic monsters in their own right. And I like that. Dan's a great character and exploring what one can do with him is fun, but I really enjoy keeping him in certain aspects a monster. Like this little thing I've created for instance. To Danny, Dan's a really kind and loving father, but he's also a sadistic killing machine who takes joy in watching things die. Even if only a little bit, I like trying my best to maintain that. (** **Also, to hrisi292, believe me when I say I'm the queen of long convoluted sentences-typically with too many commas. And you're welcome to for the mental image.)**


	7. Flesh and Blood

Danny smiled up at Jazz, as their parents shuffled around the lab in the background. The two of them had just finished a game of hide and seek, in which Danny had won 5 times in a row, and were now playing rock paper scissors to see who'd pick next. And when Danny won once more, he cheered in absolute delight while holding his chosen rock in the air.

"I want to play tag!" He exclaimed, making Dan jump and crack the beaker in his hand.

Dan knew all about Danny's tag, and it was definitely not safe for anything that wanted to live or had the ability to die. "No, Danny. You can't play tag with Jazz."

"Why not? I won't cheat-I promise!" Danny said with big eyes, watching as Dan dumped the slightly green beaker into the garbage. He was lucky no one saw that, and his hand would heal up in a minute or two.

"Why can't he play tag?" Came Jasmine's question, but Dan could only think of why he shouldn't play tag. At least not with someone they didn't need dead.

"Danny doesn't exactly... Play fair. Why don't you show him a video game or something instead?" The full ghost dodged, opening a drawer he knew specifically held around 25 beakers. Jack was always prone to breaking them-hence his thicker gloves and extra glass items. In fact, Dan could almost recall the Jack and Maddie of his original timeline discussing the amount of money they needed to set aside for beakers each month for some of their more explosive experiments.

"Video game?" Danny asked, while Jazz said. "I don't think he's old enough for anything I have..."

That made the older phantom glance at her. "You don't look like the gaming type."

Jazz shrugged. "I kind of got into them when I started tutoring Tucker. He let me borrow a few and I guess they just stuck... You know, I think I have Doomed lying around upstairs somewhere. I bet I could teach him that."

Danny looked up at that, remembering that his dad mentioned owning Doomed, and beamed. "Yeah! I wanna learn to play that!"

Seconds later Danny was dragging Jazz upstairs by the hand, followed by Dan's shout of "Don't kill each other!" The metallic lab door then shut, leaving the full ghost alone with the hunters. And while Dan expected to simply keep working, Maddie asked him. "...Do you have anyone waiting for you two?"

Dan cleared any remaining glass off of the table before he began mixing things in the beaker, trying to remember that old formula for Vlad's synthetic ectoplasm. It had been so long since he even attempted it, but he was sure he could remember. He had 25 attempts at it anyway. "No, it's just the two of us. Before Danny it was only me. Everyone I knew died when I was 14. You tend not to get too many acquaintances after a thing like that."

"I can understand that... My son, my Danny, would have been 14 this year." Maddie said softly, but Dan said nothing to that.

Instead, he focused on how their timelines didn't seem to be synced together, rather than the bitterness that formed in his chest at Maddie's words. "My son, my Danny"? The full ghost was certain he would have broken another beaker, had Jack not slammed his hand against the table and said. "Those ghosts are always ruining things! They have no good in them at all! What kind of monster would steal someone's baby boy!?"

Dan would have remained silent, but his curiosity got the best of him. "What would you do if your son died and was now a ghost?"

The two scientists looked at each other for a long time. They occasionally glanced at Dan, but his back was turned to them as he leaned over the metal work table. He stared into the blue liquid within the beaker, being reminded of Danny's eyes and cheerful face.

Maddie finally replied. "Well... He wouldn't be our son anymore. The ectoplasm would have corrupted him, and we would have no other choice but to kill the ghost and put him out of his misery."

Dan gives a "hmm" but refuses to say anything else. He knew his eyes were glowing red, and saying anything would only make himself more agitated. But oh, he wanted to say something. Tell them how utterly wrong they were about how ghosts worked. Tell them how loving Danny was with ectoplasm pumping in his veins. Tell them how they were horrible people for everything they would have done to Danny.

But it wasn't worth it.

Instead, Dan poured took a breath and forced his eyes to turn blue. Turning around, he gave the two an empty look. "I'm going to take a break. The formula I was working with is in the notebook." And with that, the full ghost made his way out of the lab and away from those two. He couldn't understand why part of him ever wanted to protect them.

"Got ya!" Danny's voice suddenly rang through the living room as Dan stood in the door frame. The sound brought a smile to his face as his son celebrated his victory, despite the bitterness in his mouth.

Jazz then looked up from her laptop screen and noticed Dan. She greeted him with a smile "You know your son is incredible, right?"

"Of course I do-I raised him." The man said, leaning over the couch to see that Danny was indeed racking up points like a mad-man. "He's a fast learner."

Dan then made his way around and to the front of the couch, sitting beside Danny to watch him play. The boy really was a fast learner-he was fast at everything-though that habit often costed them quite a few plates and a wall once.

"I like playing with Jazz. She's really fun!" Danny said as he paused the game, just as he was taught.

Jazz giggled. "Yeah, this is nice. It's like I finally have a little brother."

Dan gave a humorless chuckle at the irony. "Mind if I give it a try?"

Danny nods, eagerly handing over the laptop before he shifted so Jazz could see better. The two then watched as dormant gaming skills shined through after so many years. Danny was awe struck, and Jazz was staring at Dan as if he just grew another head. The man was also incredibly relaxed about the whole thing-pressing buttons with astounding timing.

"How is a 40 year old man so good at video games?" Jazz questioned, earning a snort from the full ghost.

"I'm 34, actually. And believe me when I tell you, I played this game a lot when I was young." Dan said, handing the laptop back to Danny.

Jazz looked at Danny briefly before asking quietly. "What is it like...? Your timeline?"

Dan sighed tiredly before he leaned into the couch. "Half of the world is a complete wasteland, while small cities are scattered here and there with survivors. Most of the creatures you see around are ghosts-and even then they're scarce. You could probably go a long time without seeing anything that can move by itself."

"...Why do you want to go back?" Jazz asked him, voice barely above a whisper.

"...As nice as this place is, this isn't our home. We don't belong here." Dan said, placing a hand on Danny's back and being met with a smile.

Jazz gives a small smile of her own, opening her to speak-only for the slam of the laboratory door to break them apart. And then they hear Maddie shout, ecto-gun aimed at Dan. "Get away from our son, ghost!"

* * *

 **A/N: You know, I hate cliff hangers... But I'm doing them anyway because I require more time to edit. (And yes, hrisi292. The only reason you may not be able to tell is because I take a considerable amount of time trying to break apart sentences I decided to glue together in order to make my writing sound somewhat "professional". [I mean, look at what I just wrote.]) (Also, Acidwing, please do not remind me of writing for science in any way. I feel terrifying flashbacks of pre-labs I never finished because they literally bored me to sleep coming on... I have a problem.** **)**

 **...Right, the story. Next chapter will be up some time tomorrow, and I have nothing else to say. I must now go complete other things because the world likes to make you not do what you'd rather be doing.**


	8. Blood and Tears

Jazz is the first to get up after setting her laptop off to the side before pulling Danny closer. "What's going on? Mom, what are you doing?"

Danny shrugs Jazz off and curls into Dan, who is doing his best to shield the small halfa. The action just makes Jack and Maddie more fierce, as both of them continue to aim their weapons at the full ghost. Maddie repeats herself. "I said get away from our son!"

Dan stands up and in front of Danny. "Maddie, calm down and expl-"

Dan is cut off by Maddie's shot to his shoulder. The blast has him collapse to the floor in agony, body writhing as he screams out while clutching the wound. And Danny, terrified beyond belief, runs to help the man-only to scream as he's picked up by the back of his hoodie.

And then Dan's disguise begins to peel away, revealing his pointed ears and sharp fangs. A blue-green color creeps up his skin as his dark hair erupts into roaring white fire. Claws stretch from his fingers as his clothes are replaced with his suit and cape. And the final bit to change were those blue eyes, that turned red as blood and filled with pain.

Jazz backed away, her hand over her mouth as she stares at the ghost. Once his disguise is no more, he lies there. He didn't breathe anymore, but his eyes blinked and his body twitched as he tried to heal. But then he freezes, and Jazz looks over to see Maddie now holding the squirming halfa-who was crying out.

"Come on Danny, it's me. It's your mommy, remember?" Maddie tried to be soft-spoken, but Danny didn't hear a word. He needed to get to his father, and so he let energy build within before sending it forwards and sending the Fenton's into a wall. The young phantom then raced towards his father with tears in his eyes, begging him to get up.

Jazz felt her heart break at the sight of Danny, and turned back to her parents. "Someone, please tell me what's going on!" Her voice cracked as she stood, shaking her head and trying to pull some semblance of thought together.

Maddie grunted, sitting up. "I found that beaker Dan broke in the garbage, coated in a thin layer of ectoplasm while throwing some papers away. I didn't remember hearing him react to any pain- he just threw something away... He clearly brainwashed our poor boy. It's why he doesn't remember us! That timeline is probably where he did it too!"

"Get away from that ghost, Danny!" Jack bellowed, but that did nothing but worsen Danny's sobs.

The sound made Dan growl lowly. His eyes brightened in color as he forced his body to sit up a bit. Danny huged him tightly, never wanting to let go as he pulled the man up a little more. "Please, dad! Get up! Please, please, get up!"

Jazz couldn't believe what she was hearing. She slowly looked at Dan with slightly teary eyes, and when hers meet his she feels weight press on her shoulders. Her throat dries as she asks him. "Were...Were you the one that destroyed your timeline?"

Dan stared at her with a frown, but Jazz saw something in his eyes. Behind the hate, the anger, and all of the pain... She could have sworn she saw an apology. One that was hidden in the darkness once more as he turned back to Danny, struggling to place his hand in the boy's hair. But just as he does so, Danny is once again ripped away, this time by Maddie.

"Sweetie, please!" Maddie begs, but the halfa refused to listen, and screamed even louder when he sees Jack aiming a gun at his father.

Dan meets the man's harsh gaze with one of his own, only for a smirk to form on his face. He heard the gun charging, but as soon as it did he felt it. A burst of energy from the anguished halfa as pitch black rings transformed his body. His hair turned to roaring white flames, as his eyes turned pure red. All in Maddie's arms.

He then pushes them back, tears still flooding down his face as he looks down at them. Deep red energy forms in the halfa's palms and continues to grow brighter and brighter, causing electricity to fire sporadically and damage walls. Jack and Maddie could only watch in fear as their own child prepared to end their lives.

"Stop!" Jazz's voice made Danny shudder. "Please, please don't do this Danny! Please!"

The halfa watched her cry and collapse to her knees for a moment before turning to Dan. The ghost was struggling to sit up further and look at him. And Danny found himself calming down. For a moment, his eyes even appeared to be green-only to turn when he heard a weapon being charged. He then cried out as he was blasted into a wall. Jazz's scream was the last thing he heard before slipping into unconsciousness and transforming into his human self.

Dan meanwhile, was speechless. He then turned to the Fenton's, watching Maddie lower her gun with stray tears rolling down her cheeks. He continued to stare at her, while Jazz ran over to Danny and did her best to help him.

But then she looked up. The air felt heavier, as Dan struggled to his feet and watched them. Their weapons powered up once more, but Dan merely waved a hand and trapped them against a wall. His mind was a constant ringing, as he raised a hand up.

Jazz's voice then rose above the ringing. "No! Don't kill them! You can't, they're all I have! J-just like Danny is to you! Don't take that away from me!"

Dan looked at her, before his gaze moved back to the ghost hunters. He then felt bindings wrapped around his body and burning metal against his back. The Nasty Burger was about to blow and he would die... Then he sees through the eyes of Vlad, who was cowering in a corner from the monster in front of him. He wished it killed him... And finally, he sees through the eyes of Jack and Maddie. Scared, and confused. Wondering just what they did wrong...

Dan shakes his head and approaches them, hearing Jazz's pleas get more desperate. He ignores them in favor of reaching through Jack's forehead and Maddie's stomach . He then removes his hands and steps towards Jazz, who backs away and lets the full ghost near Danny.

The older phantom then picked the halfa up, and flew away, with Jazz looking after him.

"I- I can't see!" That made Jazz snap out of it, as she rushed over to her father and mother, who were released once Dan was far enough away. She then shrieked, seeing Jack's blurry and unfocused eyes. She then looked to her mother, who couldn't stand up.

"I can't feel my legs!" Maddie cried out, tears flowing down her face once again.

And though Jazz stared in horror at what Dan had done to her parents, deep down... She couldn't blame him.

* * *

 **A/N: Well that was intense. Guys, little PSA. If you ever meet a ghost some day, do not take their child.**

 **But seriously, this is probably my favorite chapter. I also want you guys to keep in mind in the future that I like mentioning little things that play a factor in the AU but either don't get brought up much, or are so minor you miss it and then it plays a big part. (You know, I say that, but then some of you might look a bit deeper at my writing and notice the glorious spelling mistakes I make... I dunno, guess you could make a drinking game out of it-specifically with Raising the Future. Unless you're under age. [Drink responsibly...])**

 **By the way, Acidwing I am going to be using your "How in the seven hells" from now on, and hrisi292 that quote is going to be a T-shirt... Or at least something I can think about while watching Bitter Reunions for the 15th time.**


	9. Alternative

Dan was lying on the couch of his apartment, Danny in his arms. There were no lights on, save for the glow of his burning hair and skin, and the only sound was the insistent ticking of the clock on the wall. It was so loud-too loud. But Dan put up with it, not wanting to move Danny more than necessary. He used up a lot of energy after all...

Dan shook his head, just as Danny began to stir, and watched him carefully. The halfa opened his blue eyes and struggled to sit up. Dan gently stopped him however, smiling slightly when the halfa looked up at him.

And then he asked, voice still a little hoarse and quiet. "Why did they try to kill me...?"

Dan stayed silent at that, instead wrapping his arms tightly around the boy. After everything that had happened he never wanted to let go again. He'd never wanted Danny to get hurt like that, but given their lifestyle it was inevitable. He just wished it didn't have to happen here... He wished it didn't have to happen now...

The full ghost held his son tighter, feeling small arms return the favor while the front of his suit proceeded to get more damp. Danny was shivering, and the only thing that seemed to keep him calm was this hug. This warm embrace that promised nothing but safety and warmth.

Dan placed a hand in the boy's dark hair and spoke his first words in the last few hours. "...I love you, Danny."

The halfa smiled through his crying and looked up at the full ghost. "I love you too... Can we go home now?"

"Not yet... Jack and Maddie won't help us anymore. Even if they wanted to, they wouldn't be able." A bitter grin formed on his face at the thought.

Danny frowned at that, laying his head back down on his father's chest. He spoke softly, staring into the darkness of their TV screen. "I really want to go home..."

"I know..." Dan said while exhaling through his nostrils and slumping a bit further into the couch. "I guess we have no other choice but to go find Vlad."

Danny tuned in some more at the unfamiliar name. "Vlad? Who's that?"

The full ghost didn't speak immediately. A while ago Dan had made a point not to tell Danny about Vlad. He and the ex-halfa of his timeline were far from speaking terms, and anytime he found anything to do with the man lying around it was vaporized. Unfortunately however, this wasn't something they could do on their own. Dan needed a lab, and honestly Vlad's was probably a better option anyway.

"Vlad is... The only person on this planet that can help us get home." Dan said carefully, watching as his son rolled those words around in his head for a little while. He then seemingly stored it away for a later date.

"...Can we train?"

Dan studied Danny briefly, before a hollow smile formed on his face. "Sure."

* * *

The next day, ghostly white boots touched down on a well-maintained Wisconsin lawn. A staggering castle loomed above their owner and his child, bringing curiosity to the eyes of the younger phantom on Dan's back. Danny found the place was cold-colder than the wind currently bellowing around them-but not in a way he was unused to. It felt like the city streets of his home, and that made Danny all the more interested in this "Vlad."

Suddenly he and Dan were invisible and intangible. They fell through layers upon layers of dirt, before entering a brilliant lab, more so than any Danny had seen. It was expansive, sleek, and… Very pink. And within this laboratory was a man that intrigued the halfa even more.

He was tall, not nearly as tall as Dan but still tall, and wore mostly white. He drifted around his lab and revealed solid red eyes with blue skin that definitely had Danny drawing parallels to Dan. The sharp ears and fangs did as well, and as a whole made Danny wonder if this ghost was related to his father. He'd have to remember to ask later on.

"Plasmius." Dan's voice broke the silence, making Vlad turn around and take a fighting stance. "We need to talk to you."

Becoming visible, Dan made note of the way Vlad flinched and put his hands up in a motion to calm the man down. "Who are you? How did you find me?"

Dan frowned, before glancing over his shoulder at his son. The boy seemed to understand the silent message and hopped off of his back, moving to sit cross-legged by a wall. The older halfa then continues with a sigh. "You don't know who I am, but my name is Dan. I'm here from an alternate reality…"

Dan continued his story, telling the older halfa about his timeline, how he found Danny, and finally about the incident with Jack and Maddie. That last one made Vlad lean against one of his metal tables, trying to drink in everything he had just been told. It was all just so hard to believe… Shaking his head, Vlad looked at the small child, who sat on the floor while playing with a glowing ball of ecto-energy.

"Danny." Dan grabbed the boy's attention, while Vlad continued to stare. "I need you to transform right now."

Danny glanced at Vlad, but didn't argue. Rather, he climbed to his feet after dismissing the glowing sphere and began to transform. The emerging white rings made Vlad's ghostly core stop briefly, as he watched Danny shift. He marveled at the massive hoodie and dark hair, with big blue eyes and healthy skin that pointed to this child now being human. The same child who'd appeared to be the son of a demon when the ghostly duo arrived. And all Vlad could think was that, standing before him, was another of his kind.

Looking back at Dan, Vlad proceeded to nod hesitantly. "Very well… Come with me and I'll see what I can do."

With a numb nod, Dan started to follow before he glanced back at his child. With a small smile, he asked. "Do you want to help?"

Danny's smile practically split his face as he jumped into the air and transformed, flying after the two ghostly men. Pretty soon, they'd be going home…

* * *

Jazz sat silently in her bedroom, staring at the dull pink walls emptily. Her knees were hugged to her chest as she replayed the events of the prior day in her mind again. The fact she had anything else to do didn't register either-all she could think about was that day.

She remembered how absolutely delusional her parents had looked when they shot Dan, and then Danny.. Their son and her little brother… But worse than that was Dan. The way he'd silently drifted towards her parents, eyes like crimson voids, still sent shivers down her spine and nearly brought tears to her eyes.

After he and Danny were gone, Jazz had called the hospital and they were now taking care of the Fentons-neither of which were keen to be there. Jack had to be sedated himself, as he wanted nothing more than to hunt down the ghost that took her brother despite his clear impairment. Maddie had been as quiet as Dan had been, but more contemplative. She hadn't looked up from her hands since she calmed down from her initial panic.

Jazz took a shaky breath before climbing out of bed. Quick hands snatched up her bag, stuffed her car keys and phone inside, and jogged out of the house. She needed answers, and knew that Dan had them-she just hoped he was willing to speak to her.

* * *

 **A/N: So in regards to last chapter, I kinda feel like explaining the whole thought process there. See, while writing it I really wanted to convey a sense of complete delusion with Jack and Maddie. A sort of "I just found my son-who'd been missing for 14 years-and the man responsible is sitting in my living room with him and my daughter. Not only that, but the kidnapper is also a ghost-something I've hated for years." That kind of thing doesn't sit well with a person, which is probably why some of Jack's and Maddie's actions seemed a bit out there.**

 **I will admit though, I wish I did a bit more with Jack. He is the shoot first, ask questions later type after all, but it seemed more fitting for Maddie to act out a bit more. She is Danny's mother after all, and I feel she probably was a bit more off at everything that happened-especially considering she was the one who found the beaker in the garbage.**

 **And then there's Jazz. Given how old she is and how she'd been in the middle of bonding with Dan and Danny before everything I couldn't imagine her trying to attack-especially since she'd be attacking a very angry ghost parent.**

 **So yeah, that's my annoyingly long thought process-shortened to 3 paragraphs. I highly doubt I conveyed what I wanted to-but I hope you got the gist of it. Enjoy the next chapter when it arrives.**


	10. Forever Siblings

"Thanks for the help, Vlad." Dan said, levitating off of the ground with Danny in his arms. "We'll be back tomorrow evening."

Vlad nodded, smiling a little when Danny waved at him, before the phantoms disappeared through the portal. A sigh then left the halfa as he proceeded to lock the portal for the night. Dark rings then transformed him into the weary man he truly was. His blue eyes then drifted towards the phone, and he found his jaw tighten. He needed to make a phone call…

* * *

Dan floated into his living room just as a knock sounded against the front door. He glanced at it, before turning his attention to the yawning Danny he still held in his arms. Setting the halfa down, Dan lightly ruffled his hair and told him to head to bed. And once Danny had planted his face in his pillow, the full ghost disguised himself and answered the door.

He raised his eyebrows when he saw who it was. "Jazz? What are you doing here?"

"…Can I talk to you?" Her voice was careful, as were her steps as Dan moved aside and let her in.

She sat on the couch and watched the front door shut, before she was joined by the tall ghost. Said ghost leaned back and looked at her, an eyebrow now raised in inquiry. Jazz took a breath to still her nerves, looking back at Dan. She was silently grateful he wasn't in his ghost form, especially as she asked her question.

"Why did you kill all of those people?"

Dan frowned at where this conversation might lead, looking up at the ceiling. "In the beginning I was overwhelmed. It was bound to happen when the parts of your sum are so bitter and broken… After awhile I actively started to enjoy it-it became an obsession almost. A damn fun one at that." The smirk that accompanied those words made Jazz shiver.

"What do you mean? About being made out of people that were bitter and broken?" Jazz whispered the question, seeing the smirk fade from Dan's face.

"…In another timeline, I was Danny Fenton. And when I was 14 I became a half ghost. I also gained some abilities, and had decided to use them to protect Amity Park." Dan snorted at the idea. "Not a few months later, everyone I loved died in an explosion at the Nasty Burger, and I felt destroyed. I was so depressed and felt so much pain I went to an old college friend of Jack and Maddie's-who just so happened to be my archenemy, Vlad Masters… I asked him to remove my humanity and my emotions. But,"

Dan narrowed his eyes at the blank television in front of him. " _I_ didn't want that. I was Danny's ghost half. I always helped him fight to protect people, and I devoted myself to his stupid wants. I made it my obsession. But because of his despair he had Vlad rip me out of him… So I ripped the ghost out of Vlad and merged with it. I _let_ him overpower my mind with all of his jealousy, anger, and bitterness. And then I killed my human half, the one who rejected me and left to end the lives of everyone else who did the same."

Dan now stared into Jazz's eyes, as if he was trying to read her mind. "I'm so sorry… I couldn't imagine how bad that must of felt. I didn't mean to bring it up…"

"It's not like it can make me sad. I can't be sad-I'm a ghost." Dan said while rolling his eyes. He then glanced at the young Fenton beside him. "You seem pretty understanding about the murders I've just admitted to."

"You need me to be." Jazz told him, hesitating before she continued. "And how could you say you can't be sad? …You looked devastated when you saw what happened to Danny…"

Dan gave a humorless chuckle, telling Jazz with a somber smile. "I'm lying to myself. It makes me feel better."

Jazz gives the phantom a worried look, but decides to change the topic to something else. "…Have you and Danny found another way to get home?"

"Yeah… The Vlad Masters' of this timeline is letting me use his lab. Being a halfa himself, he was the next best choice" Dan explained.

"It's still hard to believe Vlad Master's is half ghost…" Jazz trailed off, before asking. "You were too, right? A halfa you said? How did you become one?"

Dan looked at Jazz, and for a brief moment he recalled the time in his room all those years ago. He stood at the center, with his older sister telling him about the test answers and admitting she knew he was half ghost. He then relaxed further into the couch, and began to retell everything-from the portal accident and on until the red-head fell asleep.

The full ghost chuckled lightly, shedding his disguise before heading into his unused bedroom. He then grabbed the blanket and threw it over Jazz, before going out for a late-night fly.

* * *

Danny awoke the next morning to the smell of some sort of animal sizzling away in a pan. He transformed into his ghostly half immediately and flew through his door-only to pause when he saw Jazz. She was fast asleep on the couch, blanket tangled around her, while Dan busied himself in the kitchen with breakfast.

"Why is Jazz in our house?" Danny asked after floating up to his father.

Dan let a smile form on his face, as he placed some bacon on a plate. "Being a good sister… Breakfast?"

Nodding, Danny then turned his gaze to the sleeping girl. He contemplated her for a while, before a smile formed on his face and he rushed to his room to dig around in a drawer. And once the young phantom found what he needed, he rushed up to Jazz and knelt in front of her with a grin.

He then placed beside her the ghost plush he'd gotten from the Nasty Burger-it's face holding a smile despite the fact it was now missing an arm and an eye. And it is as Danny does this that Jazz begins to stir awake, her groggy eyes eventually falling on the beaming half ghost.

"Danny…?" She asked, sitting up a bit before she noticed the smaller ghost now beside her.

Danny then said brightly. "Dad says you're a good sister, so I promise never to play tag with you-ever!"

Jazz stared at Danny in pure confusion, but Dan's sharp ears twitched at those words. He then continued to cook with a smile on his face.

* * *

 **A/N: I- Have nothing to say, really. Now that this is done, I'm probably just going to crawl into bed and sleep until 10 am. I will say though, I do like this chapter. Jazz is actually one of my favorite characters for a number of reasons, and its nice to be able to use her. So... That is the extent of my willingness to form words. Goodnight/morning/whatever to all of you.**


	11. Happy Birthday

Roughly 3 months later, and Jazz found herself at the door to Dan's apartment with Sam and Tucker. A smile was on her face as she knocked on the door, a box under one arm, before she moved back and patiently waited. Sam is the first to speak up about her attitude.

"You've gotten really close to those two, haven't you?" She questioned, and Jazz answered with a nod.

The door then swung open, revealing one Danny Phantom, currently in his human form with a wide grin on his face and a party hat on his head. He hopped up and down before he gave Jazz a tight hug and shouted. "Hi Jazz! Come on-Dad's in the kitchen finishing the cake. He won't let me see it just yet, so you have to look for me."

Jazz giggled, watching the boy rush back inside the house before following him. Sam and Tucker entered too, with the latter shutting the door behind them. The three had to admit that the place was looking quite nice today. Jazz in particular liked the streamers-of which she threw at Dan yesterday when she found out it was his and Danny's birthday. Honestly, she didn't think he'd put them up.

And speaking of Dan, the man exited the kitchen in his disguise. He wiped off his hands with a towel and greeted the trio with a smirk. "So you did show up. And here I thought you were forcing me to bake for no reason."

Jazz rolled her eyes with a smile. "Need any help?"

Dan gestured with his head towards the kitchen, and the two set to work. This left Sam and Tucker with Danny-who didn't seem very interested or eager to talk with them. Instead he just stared up at them, waiting to see what they'd do.

Tucker broke the silence however when he asked the halfa. "So… Play any video games?"

And like that Danny's eyes shined like sapphire. His mind was racing with the thought of murdering Tucker in Doomed-seeing as he wasn't allowed to actually do it for Jazz's sake-and so he nodded and gave a resounding. "Yes!" He then raced towards the computer and began setting up.

Dan glanced up at the group before turning to Jazz. He couldn't help but ask. "How are Jack and Maddie?"

Jazz hesitated in her actions, before beginning to ice the cake Dan had sat in front of her. "Mom finished her work on a pair of robotic legs so she can walk again, but Dad's still blind and he's not coping very well… Mom is still trying to help him."

The red-head didn't miss the satisfied grin that stretched across Dan's face at those words. He gave a contemplative hum in reply- one that sent shivers down Jazz's spine and almost made her mess up her decorating. She finished what she was working on before turning to the full ghost leaning against the counter.

"How can someone be so kind and so sadistic at the same time?" She asked, earning a chuckle from the man.

"Blame Danny." He replied, before glancing into the living room when the halfa they were talking about shouted in victory.

Sam and Tucker then started marching around the living room with the ghost boy on their shoulder's, cheering for him. And as they did so, Dan and Jazz stepped in with the cake. It was a brilliant white, with black icing acting as borders. "Happy Birthday" was written on it in cursive-courtesy of Jazz-and two candles that displayed the number eleven were burning brightly.

Danny is then placed on the ground, as Dan kneels down holds the cake out to him. "Make a wish."

The halfa thought through his wish briefly, before blowing out the candles in one icy breath-leaving behind a very light frost. He then beamed at the applause that followed, while Dan went to cut the cake. Jazz gave her little brother a big hug, while Sam and Tucker continued to smile at him.

Then Tucker asked. "So what'd you wish for?"

"Global destruction." Danny replied with a cheerful smile, making the trio look at him. He also heard Dan chuckle from the kitchen before he himself giggled. "Not really! My real wish is a secret."

And from there the party carried on. Dan served cake before sitting on the couch with Danny, while Sam and Tucker proceeded to somehow begin yet another debate about food superiority. Jazz could only sigh, as she joined the duo on the couch. She then handed the box she'd brought with her to Dan.

"Happy birthday to you too, Dan." Dan rose an eyebrow at her, before he proceeded to unwrap the gift.

A short laugh then sounded from the man, as he pulled out an mp3 player and a camera. "Thanks Jazz. I'll be sure to take plenty of pictures of destroyed cities while listening to Dumpty Humpty for you."

Jazz was about to reply when a phone rang. Dan placed the mp3 player in his pocket before answering the phone. Before he could say anything though, he heard Vlad's voice. "The machine is ready."

Dan glanced at the phone in his hands, before nodding to himself. "Alright, we'll be there in an hour or two."

And that's all that was said before he hung up. But it was as he was doing so that the full ghost paused. He stared at the wall, and the more he thought about it all, the more Dan found he didn't want to leave. That he didn't really want to go home.

Home was a deserted wasteland, filled with the rotting corpses of those that he and Danny killed. And while he didn't feel ill at what he'd caused, he did feel ill about leaving the only other person he cared about outside of Danny. He felt ill about having to return to living in an abandoned lab with a gaping hole in the ceiling. And more than anything else, he felt ill for returning with Danny.

But then he remembered what the halfa said a few months ago. No matter how good this place was, it didn't feel like home. Those rotting bodies, leveled cities, and barely standing laboratory were what made that place home to Danny. And Dan found that he could live with that. If Danny wanted to go home, then he would take him.

And if home ever didn't feel quite like home, Dan was sure he could find a way to get them back here.

Approaching the young halfa, who was now turning the nobs on the camera, Dan smiled. "Danny, we can go home now."

Blue eyes widened, flashing red briefly at the statement, before the phantom jumped up and ran at Jazz. He then hugged her tightly. "We have to leave now, Jazz! But don't worry, we'll come back so I can tell you everything we did! I promise!"

Jazz looked at the halfa in surprise before turning to Dan, who nodded. She then gives a sad smile, before returning the hug. "I'll miss you little brother."

The halfa then ran over to hug Sam and Tucker, who accepted with confusion. Dan then fished around in his pocket before placing a green key into Jazz's hands. "Keep the place-it's rent free. And feel free to tell those two whatever you want them to know."

Then, with a ruffle of her hair, Dan made his way towards the door with Danny in toe. Jazz tried to catch up with him, but when she reached the hallway they were gone… She simply sighed, mentally preparing her explanation to her friends while hoping those two made it back safely.

* * *

 **A/N: You know, I'm sure I could have done a million and one things with Sam and Tucker, but if I'm being honest I don't like writing for them. Specifically I don't like writing for Sam-for a variety of dumb fan-girl reasons, but I at least like to think Jazz tells them things when I don't. Let me know what you think their conversation might be like as Dan makes his way over to our favorite cheesehead's house (And no, not because of my laziness. Psh, what are you talking about? I'm being _inclusive_ guys, come on.)**


	12. Are You Safe Yet?

Dan stood in the expansive lab of one Vlad Masters, with Danny on his back. The older halfa was explaining how the device worked, and that it should locate their timeline with relative ease. He then handed it to Dan, who inspected the small remote briefly. He then looked back up at Vlad-who now sifted through some extra notes and diagrams lying on the table.

"You know, you're a lot less of a fruitloop than I thought." Dan said with a smirk, while Vlad rolled his eyes.

He then looked down when he felt Danny wrap his arms around him. "Thank you for your help, uncle Vlad!"

Vlad's eyes widened as he looked at Danny, before glancing at Dan. The man just shrugged, gesturing for the man to say something. So he looked back down at his fellow halfa and smiled, gently patting him on the back while a chuckle escaped his throat. "You're welcome, Danny."

The older halfa then turned his attention to Dan, as Danny returned to his back, and frowned. "And before you go, I have to apologize."

"Apologize? You're not trying to kill me, are you Vlad?" Dan questioned, curiosity growing when he shook his head.

"I talked to Maddie over the phone a few months ago, and after what she said you did to her I thought about sabotaging this moment." Vlad admitted. "But not only did I think better of it, I also realized the woman I loved was stolen the day young Danny went missing. Hopefully, after all of this, she'll return someday."

"You're so cheesy." Dan commented, before looking between the device and Vlad. "But you're a good man this time around. Try to stay that way-it makes my life easier."

And with that, the two were traveling through time, leaving Vlad alone in his lab once again. He could only sigh and hope they made it back safely, as he turned to what he had been working on before. Plots against Jack Fenton and everything he stood for…

Vlad skimmed one of them, before a frown formed on his face. He slid the documents into the garbage and proceeded to clean out a drawer of others. After everything Maddie had said, he found the two didn't need anymore pain in their life than what Dan had given them.

* * *

A cold darkness crept along the walls of the mysterious room Dan found himself in, the natural glow of his flaming hair barely cutting through it. All he could see in front of him was blackness, broken up by occasional bits of reflective metals. Slow and monotonous ticking also set the area to a quiet beat that was already driving Dan mad. It sounded eerily familiar, and yet horribly wrong.

"Dad, what's that?" Dan felt Danny hover away from him, his ghostly aura managing to break up some of the darkness around him. He pointed to a doorway down a narrow corridor, which held a faint green glow that casted long shadows on the walls.

Dan gestured for Danny to get back, and proceeded to float the two of them invisibly towards the entrance. Upon peering inside, the full ghost noticed two thing. The first was the massive wall of glowing screens that seemed to climb all the way to the top of a high ceiling. And the second was the ghost, floating before them with a staff in hand and a slouch to his shoulders.

A tired groan escaped Dan, before he turned the two of them visible once more. He entered the room, steps breaking up the steady beat of the countless clocks, before he stood behind the time master. "Cl-"

The ghost raised his staff, and opened a portal beside them. "Leave."

Dan scanned the man, before he sighed. Sitting Danny down, the full ghost said. "I'm not sorry for what I did to him, but you shouldn't be so bitter about it."

Clockwork glanced at the phantom with tired red eyes. "I'm not bitter. This is how history has always worked. Things like this happen."

"If that were the case, this room would have always looked like this." Dan said sharply, before he frowned. He grabbed the ghost by the shoulder, and whispered in such a way that Danny couldn't hear. "I know you hate me. I know you hate everything I've done, and everything I will do. So fine, erase me whenever you get sick of the fact I exist, but Danny gets to live."

Releasing the time ghost, Dan took his son into his arms. With one last glare at the elderly specter, he stepped through the portal and left him alone.

And once they were gone, Clockwork held up his staff. The screens centered on Danny Phantom, with the variable of his father removed. On one, he was beyond distraught-wouldn't do anything but float in the ghost zone beside himself. On another, he was angry. He didn't know where his father had gone, and took it out on countless people in countless timelines. In yet another he felt nothing-was never human. He walked the barren wasteland of his world with complete emptiness and a cold that expanded with every step. And in another he was the most powerful ghost in existence-with a misery that infected everything around him.

Shaking his head, Clockwork turned the screens again and watched the birthday party the two had just had play out. It looked so mundane and normal, and even heartwarming. It made the time master's jaw tighten, as he raised his staff one final time to gaze at himself.

He was tired, so very tired… And so, for the first time all of the screens turned dark. The tower was plunged into blackness, as Clockwork called for the Observants. Said Observants were utterly surprised when they arrived and saw him in the dark.

"Clockwork? Why did you _want_ to see us?" The green ghost questioned, looking further surprised as the time master placed his staff in the Observant's claws.

And then, floating towards the door the time ghost said. "If I keep that staff any longer, I will do something I know I'll regret…"

Confusion passed between the Observants now, as another asked. "What do you mean?"

"I would be taking away the life of a monster, who finally became a man."

* * *

 **A/N: So! First, the remote. How does it work? Because I am bad at explaining things-I will now tell you. The remote itself can't take you through time. Even with all of Vlad's genius, considering how early this story takes place when compared to the canon, I doubt he could achieve that just yet. Instead, it takes you as close to whatever time period you want to go as possible without sending you anywhere-and since Clockwork is all of time-I thought it would be interesting if it kept locking onto him. Does that make sense? No? Perfect.**

 **Second, guys-I want to add more plot elements to this so badly (like the idea of Vlad doing something stupid which-lets be honest-he will do in this timeline eventually. He is being left alone with his thoughts after all. As the past has shown, that is not good.)**

 **I have so many random, dumb ideas for this "AU" it's ridiculous. Unfortunately, getting myself to finish anything is like trying to pull the tooth of an ant (Impossible because ants do not have teeth... Unless it's some strange ant-creature, then very rarely). So... I'm putting my Tumblr to good use. The link to it will be in the final chapter that will be posted tomorrow along with further details. There is also my Deviant-art that is available since I shall be making a folder for this stuff specifically.**

 **I feel like this author's note is getting kind of wordy, a specialty of mine with everything except stories, so I'll finish by saying I'm glad you guys know how to work with Sam and Tucker as well as I do. One day I should make an AU where they get more than background attention... Look out for that in 50 years, while I continue to not want to end this but do anyway because otherwise there would be years between chapters.**


	13. Epilogue

Once again the day was quiet and windy. Dust blew down empty streets while cries of agony were ripped from the throats of stray ghosts before silence took over. A laugh then sounded against the wind, as 11 year old Danny Phantom found himself being tackled to the ground by his father.

A smirk then formed on the halfa's face, as he proceeded to release a ghostly wail. Dan's eyes widened, before he was launched into a nearby building. Said building was immediately leveled, and caused mounds of rubble to cover the full ghost.

Danny giggled, floating up to his father. He watched him float out of the rubble, proud smirk on his face. "Not bad. I might just start taking you seriously now."

The halfa stuck out his tongue, only to pause as a watch he was wearing gave a beep. A smile then broke out onto his face, as he jumped up and down. "Dad, we have to go!"

Dan sighed, as Danny jumped onto his back. He reached into his pocket to pull out a remote, and proceeded to press a button. A flash then encompassed the two, before they appeared before a small home floating at the so-called edge of the ghost zone.

The house was small, quaint, and simple. It was somewhat Victorian inspired, but really it took from all aspects of history. The door for example was more medieval, with modern touches like a doorbell and a porch light. It felt old, despite being a relatively new addition to the ghost zone.

That didn't stop Danny from banging ridiculously loud on the wooden piece after jumping off of his father. He then smiled at the ghost behind it-who seemed upset by the rough treatment of his door but didn't voice anything about it. Said ghost then turned his attention to Dan. "You know, you need to learn how to travel through time by yourselves."

Dan smirked. "I think we both know that wouldn't end well Clockwork."

"Point taken." He said, before he pulled the door open further and let them in while revealing more of his outfit-a thrown on dark purple long-sleeved shirt and a pair of black jeans that seemed two sizes too big. He also had legs, which still somewhat messed with Dan's head.

Clockwork then opened a portal-one Danny jumped into almost instantly, before turning to the full ghost. Said ghost was staring at him before he gave a small smile. "You should come with us sometimes. I bet Jazz would love to meet a man who's almost all knowing.

The ex-time master snorted at the "almost" part of that sentence. "I don't think that would end well either."

"Whatever you say, Clocky." Dan said, tilting his head when an ectoblast shot past him. "Temper?"

"Dan, I'm tolerating you. I may not be able to erase you or kill you, but I can still easily kick your ass." The time ghost said, composure thrown to the wind without an image to uphold. "Now get out-your family is waiting for you."

Dan chuckled, but did as instructed. He stepped through the unearthly blue portal, and was greeted to the sight of Jazz hugging Danny. She stood up with the phantom in her arms, smiling. "Guess who just bought this apartment?"

The full ghost shook his head while taking Danny from her. "You didn't have to pay for this place you know."

A new presence suddenly made Dan go on alert, as his crimson eyes fell upon one Maddie Fenton. He leered at her as she approached and then stopped-wisely keeping her distance. He couldn't help but notice the mechanical pieces over her legs, glowing green with ecto energy and making her trigger his ghost sense. The devices however only served to enforce his hate with a reminder of how she got them.

"Maddie." He said stiffly.

"I… wanted to apologize." She said, looking to Jazz for a bit of encouragement. "What I did was horrible, and I shouldn't have done that. I just wasn't thinking and-I know you won't forgive me, but I can't just leave things like this. I hurt Danny… I'm not worthy enough to be his mother…"

Dan felt that there was more, but didn't push. Instead, he analyzed her with an intense gaze before placing Danny down behind him. "You're right-I won't forgive you. If anyone were to ask me right now, I wouldn't hesitate to kill you. But who knows, maybe you might earn that hesitance in the future."

Maddie nodded-she knew she was in no place to ask for much more. "Thank you… I have to get home now-Jack doesn't know I'm here… And remember to visit, Jazz."

The 19 year old nodded, a smile on her face as she watched her mother leave. She then turned to the two ghosts. "So, what did you guys want to do first?"

"I want to visit uncle Vlad!" Danny exclaimed, jumping onto Jazz's back and making her stumble forwards a little.

"Uncle?" Jazz questioned, looking at Dan with wonder once more.

Dan chuckled. "More like godfather, but uncle is easier to say. Besides-in a way he isn't wrong."

Jazz just shook her head, feeling her body begin to hover as Dan pulled them off of the ground. And while she began to panic, the weirdly reassuring fanged grin of the full ghost helped calm her down. She finally sighed and relaxed, as the trio turned invisible and began the journey to Wisconsin.

Though it is as they fly that Dan finds himself thinking. His eyes wandered to the bustling Amity Park passing beneath them, and he allows an amused smile to form on his face. A part of him would always have a bone to pick with the town, but it really was beginning to feel like home again… And as Dan realized that, he laughed.

Jazz and Danny looked towards the full ghost in confusion, with Jazz asking. "What's so funny?"

Dan smiled to himself. "Nothing. I just finally figured out why I exist."

Jazz shared a bewildered look with the halfa on her back. "Why you exist?"

"Yeah… Don't worry, I'll tell you some other time." The full ghost continued their fly silently, not budging an inch in his decision.

* * *

"And this is your staff-"

"I don't need your mind control devices." A voice stated, with clawed fingers pushing the Observant's hand away. "Do you think I'm stupid? I'm not a puppet like Clockwork, so don't make me one ever again."

The Observant bit back any retorts as he watched the hooded creation examine the space. It was made clear to him that this thing they called a ghost was to be met with little resistance until he was situated in his new position. Why? Who knew. But he couldn't let the beast in human skin walk free without some sort of collar.

"It doesn't-"

A quick pointed blue-green look within the darkness silenced the Observant, while those same clawed hands found themselves tracing one of the countless screens in the room. They then paused, finding a slip of parchment-of all the materials-attached to one of them. Their owner pulled the note open, while cold eyes browsed over the words. A fanged grin then formed on his face.

"Instructions. He knew me so well…" The ghost trailed off, before crumpling the sheet up and setting it ablaze. "What happened to him anyway?"

The Observant huffed, rolling his eye. "He moved to an undisclosed location."

"Undisclosed? I thought you could see everything in the timeline you were in." The ghost said as he continued to look around, glancing at the other specter.

"Clockwork was made from time, of time, for time. That won't change whether he's here or not, nor as long as you have the job. Which is why we also shouldn't just stand here talking." The ghost laughed at those words, hearing the charge in his superior's voice.

"Of course not… I'll begin my search for your runaway pet right away. And in return, you will…?" Fangs glistened with a cheer that made his supposed boss shrink back a little.

He hesitated suddenly, tone strained. "…Let you have his new timeline…"

"Excellent, you remembered." A falsely kind voice left pale lips, as the ghost raised a hand. The screens slowly flickered to life, each one centered on one flying trio. "I wonder if he does too…"

Pointed fingers raised to press against a dip in the chest of his robes, as he pulled back his hood to reveal uneven white hair with black strands scattered here and there. A permanent bruise was located just beneath his hairline on the back of his neck, and seemed to have not healed since it formed. If anything, it seemed to get darker over time.

"So I can see all of time from here? No staff required." A nod was his answer, and the fact it was seen without the need to turn his head made the new time master pleased.

"As long as you're in the tower, yes. But you should still take the staff, just in case." The Observant tried one final time, surprised when a hole was cut clean through the clock face by an ectoblast that was not clearly aimed but startlingly accurate.

"Very well." And once those hands took the staff, a cold ebbed from it that burned to the touch and had the Observant stumbling backwards. "I'll take your staff, do your dirty work, and watch your timeline. But if you ever forget this deal…"

Eyes of blue and green flashed dangerously, as ectoplasm slithered from beneath the cloak's sleeves and formed a sword out of the broken staff. The Observant got the picture quickly and nodded, bringing a smirk to the face obscured by hair.

"Good. Now, I have work to do." And with that, the ghost turned away and the Observant stepped outside.

Another Observant waited patiently for him, before asking why he looked so nervous. He replied quietly with only a name. "Danny Fenton." And with that the ghost zone grew just a bit colder.

* * *

 **A/N: Is this the end? For now. Was it good? Maybe...? Do I want it to continue? Of course. Do I have the drive to write it soon? Eh... Give it about a year. But! There are ways you can bug me about it, but that is at the end of this rant because this is probably the last time I will be talking to you guys for a while unless you PM me so I will now proceed to fan girl about myself (Sad, yes, but lets face it-a lot of writers are the biggest fans of their ideas... Not so much their work.) and you wonderful people.**

 **I love this series-and now I can say series-so much. Not only because I've finished 2 parts to it, but because people actually enjoyed those 2 parts of it! Honestly, to me personally the things I write aren't... Great... But I'm always in-love with the concepts I come up with, while also wondering just why no one more skilled came up with it so I could read it and not force myself to dust off my limited vocab memories. And when you guys review saying you like it-even if I don't reply you made me feel like I wasn't just putting words to text because I like not doing homework**

 **Thank you guys for your reviews, faves, and even just glancing at this thing I made. I hope its good enough to tell people about and maybe even inspires you somehow. I hope to add on in the future since there's a pretty big plot bunny gorging itself on ideas over here, but I have a case of a so-called "AU syndrome" so you might get a ton of random nonsense first.**

 **And! Bonus if you made it this far, first up is tumblr. I have one of those, it's for this AU, as of posting there is nothing on it at all save the About page, and I plan to mostly like things I find funny, re-blog whatever you guys make for this thing, and sometimes post art. Probably mostly sketches... If you force enough of your friends to join I might also take asks. Have fun with that!**

 **Finally-Deviant-art. I have one of these too, I use it less because I am currently avoiding doing requests, but it exists and I make art for it. Its the best place to come talk to me when I'm not obsessively refreshing Fan-fiction, so check that out too. (Ignore most of the bad stuff as best you can.)**

 **And... That's it. For now. Feel free to vent your feelings about not hearing about this other Danny Fenton for awhile in the reviews. But I might draw him... Because I really want to... Yeah, I'll do that and see you guys around.**

 **Tumblr: Kira8428**

 **Deviant-art: 8Kiki8**


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